CAT 



207 



CAT 



CATEN'UI.ATE, -when a surface presents 

 series of ridges like the links of a chain. 



CATERPILLAR, a female papilio or but- 

 terfly lays her eggs, from which they are 

 hitched, not as butterflies, but animals 

 with an elongated body, divided into 

 rings, and a head furnished with jaws 

 and several small eyes, having very short 

 feet, six of which are inferior, scaly, and 

 pointed, the rest, varying in number and 

 membranes, being attached to the poste- 

 rior annuli. These animals are caterpil- 

 lars. They live in this state for a cer- 

 tain period, and repeatedly change their 

 skin. An epoch, however, arrives when 

 from the skin of a caterpillar issues a to- 

 tally different being, of an oblong form 

 and without distinct limbs, which soon 

 ceases to move, and remains a long time 

 apparently dead and desiccated, under 

 the name of & chrysalis. After a time the 

 skin of the chrysalis splits, and the but- 

 terfly issues forth, with humid and soft 

 flabby wings, which in a few moments 

 enlarge and become firm, and the animal 

 ia ready for flight. This is what is called 



the metamorphosis of insects. 2. A 



name cdmmon to all the plants of the 

 genus Scorpiurus, which are hardy Euro- 

 pean annuals. 



CAT-FISH. 1. A species of squalus or 



shark. 2. A species of cottut found in 



the North American rivers. 



C.VT-FALL. See CAT'S-HEAD. 



CAT-GET, the name given very absurdly 

 to cords made of the twisted intestines of 

 cheep. Whip-cord, hatter's cords, bow- 

 etrings, clockmaker's cord, and fiddle 

 and harp strings are all made of cat-gut 

 variously prepared. 



CATH'AN, #?> pure. An oriental 

 Beet of Christians. 



CATH'ARINE-WHEEL. ) 1. An orna- 



CATH'ERINE-WHEEL. } raented window 

 or compartment of a window in ancient 

 buildings, of acircular form , with rosettes 

 or radiating divisions of various colours. 



2. A sort of firework constructed in 



the form of a wheel, which is made to 

 turn round when it is let off. 



CATH'ARIST, one who pretends to more 

 purity than others possess ; from xadoteos, 

 pure. 



CATHAR'TINE, a substance of a reddish 

 colour, peculiar smell, and bitter nau- 

 seous taste, obtained from the leaves of 

 senna. 



CATHA'RTOCARPUS, a genus of plants se- 

 parated from the Linna?an genus Cassia. 

 The Cassia fistula is placed in this genus, 

 and named C. fistula. 



CATHEDRAL, Lat. cathedra, from 

 &&a, a chair; used to designate the 

 head church of a diocese, sometimes called 

 ecclesia matrix, or mother church. 



CATB'ETER, Lat from x6trr.f,a. long 



hollow tube introduced by surgeons into 

 the urinary bladder, to draw off urine 

 when the patient is unable to pass it na- 

 turally. Catheters are made of silver, of 

 mixed metals, and of elastic gum. 



CATHE'TUS, Lat. from xttOtros, a line or 

 radius falling perpendicularly on another 

 line or surface : thus, in optics, (1). The 

 cathetus of incidence, is a right line drawn 

 from a point of the object perpendicular 

 to the reflecting plane. (2). The cathetus 

 of reflection is a right line drawn from the 

 eye, perpendicular to the reflecting plane. 

 (3). The cathetus of obliquation is a right 

 line drawn perpendicular to the speculum 

 in the point of incidence or reflection. In 

 architecture, a cathetus is, (i.>. A perpen- 

 dicular line passing through a cylindrical 

 body, as a column or baluster. (2). A lint- 

 falling perpendicularly, and passing 

 through the centre eye of the volute of 

 the Ionic chapiter. 



CATHOL'ICON, from %ot.8oXt xov , auniver 

 sal remedy : a medicine which was sup- 

 posed to purge away all vitiated humours. 



CATH'ODB, from %otr, downwards, and 

 ooo?, a way. The way which the sun sets ; 

 the surface at which electricity passes out 

 of a body, supposing the current to move 

 in the apparent direction of the sun. 



CAT-HOOK, the strong hook attached to 

 a cat-block. 



CATION, from xatrat, downwards, and 

 tT/M, to go. That which goes down; a 

 substance which in electrolysis passes to 

 the cathode. 



CAT'KIN. See AMENTUM. 



CAT'MNG, a long, narrow, double-edged, 

 sharp-pointed knife, used by surgeons 

 chiefly in amputations. 



CAT'-MINT, a name common to all the 

 plants of the genus Nepeta, but especially 

 applied to the N. cataria, a British per- 

 ennial : cats are said to be fond of it. 



CATOCTS'TI, in malacology, the second 

 great division of the Echini. They have 

 the opening for the vent in the base of 

 the shell, and are divided into fibula; , 

 cassides, scuta, and placentae. 



CATOPTRICS, from xctrojTT^eti, amirror. 

 The science of reflex vision, or that pait 

 of optics which explains the properties of 

 reflected light, particularly that reflected 

 from polished surfaces, whether plain or 

 curved. 



CAT'S'-EYE, a beautiful variety of rhom- 

 bohedral quartz, having an opalescencs 

 resembling the light from the eye of the 

 cat : whence its name. The fines* speci- 

 mens of this stone are brought frcm 

 Ceylon. 



CAT'S'-HEADS, two strong short beams of 

 timber, projecting almost horizontally 

 over a ship's bows, one on each side of the 

 bowsprit: called also cat-heads. These 



